Checkpoint

Emergency services, including a specialist water rescue team, spent more than three hours freeing a driver trapped in his car, in rising flood waters near Lyford. Team Leader of Fire and Emergency's Specialist Water Rescue Team in Kaikoura, Hamiora Taite spoke to Lisa Owen.

A state of emergency remains for the Kaikōura district after the Kowhai River breached its banks, with the evacuation area extended and evacuation centres heaving. More rain is forecast overnight. Locals have told RNZ the current flood feels ominously similar to the 1993 flood which devastated the region. Keiller MacDuff reports from Kaikōura.

The Prime Minister has expressed concern over China's missile test - saying it's inconsistent with Pacific values. Shortly after Australia and Fiji inked a new security pact, China fired a long-range missile with a dummy warhead into the Pacific. While China gave NZ a heads-up, it was only hours before the test happened. Political reporter Giles Dexter has more.

An alcohol industry group says it has a "fundamental right to be consulted" over a review of official health advice on so called "low risk drinking". The Health NZ guidelines are being reviewed as part of a three year cancer action plan, released last week. Executive director of the Alcohol Beverages Council, Virginia Nicholls spoke to Lisa Owen.

Residents of a lower North Island retirement village lost their first battle to stop the speed limit on the highway outside their gate returning to 100km/h. But Speldhurst Country Estate near Levin has now won the war with transport officials confirming a drop back to 80km/h. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

More than 50 child protection and sexual assault cases are being re-opened following concerns about how a senior police officer handled them. It follows a rapid review of 1000 files that were under the oversight of Detective Inspector Kevan Verry while working in different locations over a three-year period from May 2023. Assistant Commissioner District Support Tusha Penny spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Wellington Rugby Union is throwing its support behind referees who are boycotting club games due to ongoing abuse. All college to club level games are cancelled this weekend after the union decided not to draft in replacement referees. Wellington Rugby Union boss, Tony Giles spoke to Lisa Owen.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about President Trump calling FIFA's boss over a US player's suspension, which has some critics and fans seeing red.

A Wairoa Mayor is campaigning for councils to have more legal powers to deal with the proliferation of vape stores. Craig Little is concerned vaping is being normalised and it is hard to protect vulnerable communities, and is appealing for other council's to join forces. Wairoa Mayor Craig Little spoke to Lisa Owen.

Kaikoura is under a State of Emergency, and a red heavy rain warning remains in place for Marlborough, parts of Canterbury and the Kaikoura Ranges until 6am tomorrow morning. Earlier, the Kowhai River breached its banks, forcing people to move to higher ground. Reporter Keiller MacDuff was in Kaikoura and spoke to Lisa Owen. 

United Kingdom correspondent Grace Thomas spoke to Lisa Owen about how wildfires are tearing through Europe while another heatwave looms for the UK. She also spoke about how Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage is at the centre of another political donations controversy and how England have beaten Mexico in the knockout World Cup match.

A former High Court judge said it was for a jury, not the police, to decide whether a witness who saw a man running from a murder scene was relevant to the case. Alan Hall spent 17 years in prison after being convicted of murdering Arthur Easton, who was killed during a home invasion in 1985 by a man wielding a bayonet. The decision was quashed by the Supreme Court in 2022 after it found a substan...

News from the business sector, including a market report.

It's the word All Black fans dread; Rotation. After surviving the French in Christchurch, the side has hinted at rotating the team for the Italians in Wellington. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A small southland community that doesn't have a permanent doctor is fundraising to keep a nurse at the local medical centre. The Nightcaps Medical centre has two visiting GP who work two and half days a week, in between times a nurse sees patients. The nurse was funded by Well South, the primary health organisation for Otago and Southland. But that funding ended in March last year. Nightcaps Commu...

A campaign is underway to save a runaway pig that prompted a police chase after apparently escaping from a stock truck and wandering on a state highway near Eketahuna. Donald is now potentially in the queue to become bacon. An old law means the Tararua District council was forced to auction-off Donald after no-one claimed him following his antics last month. Sold for $320 dollars, the former escap...

New Zealand has been warned that China plans to fire a missile into the South Pacific Ocean within the next 24 hours. Political reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Lisa Owen.

Hundreds of homes, in a cluster of coastal settlements north of Whangarei, are still cut off due to storm damage, almost six months on. In January, Russell Road at the Helena Bay Hill was swamped in a land slide, leaving some homes in Helena Bay, Oakura, Teal Bay and Whangaruru with limited road access. Robynne Cooper, owner of the Whangaruru Beachfront Campground spoke to Lisa Owen.

Waitaki locals are cleaning up the mess after being battered by heavy rain overnight. The Waitaki District Council declared a state of emergency early this morning as stormwater and wastewater systems were overwhelmed. Firefighters tried to pump water from the area but at least nine homes and six businesses have been flooded and more will possibly be added to that list. South Island correspondent...

How much alcohol is too much, when it comes to health risks like cancer and is Aotearoa's official guide to low risk drinking dangerously out of date? The Health NZ guidelines are being reviewed as part of a three-year cancer action plan, released last week. The cancer society said alcohol is a risk factor in a least seven cancers and is the cause of about five percent of all cancers. Alcohol rese...

Two critical minerals projects on the West Coast are getting up to $50 million from the Crown to co-fund the construction of processing facilities. The money will come from the $80 million ring-fenced in the Regional Infrastructure Fund to support development in the sector. But the deal comes against the backdrop of negotiations between the United States and New Zealand about the supply of critica...

The rare decision to suspend a one-match ban for an American player at the Football World Cup has divided opinion. While the USA coach said he had no role in FIFA's decision, reports out of America say President Donald Trump did. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A massive six-day funeral for Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is underway. Khamenei was killed by a US-Israeli strike at the beginning of the months-long war in the Middle East. Millions are set to attend the service according to Iranian officials who are also calling it the "funeral of the century". However, there's one major figure who's yet to appear at the memorial. Middle Ea...

Wellington rugby referees have pulled out of all games around the capital this coming weekend due to ongoing sideline abuse. The Wellington Rugby Referees Association said so far this season there have been 19 incidents, including three on Saturday. That can be anything from swearing to inappropriate hand gestures. President of the Wellington Rugby Referees Association Ben Van Berkel spoke to Lisa...

A red heavy rain warning is in place for Marlborough and parts of Canterbury, including the Kaikoura Ranges. due to flooding. But attention is turning to southern parts of Marlborough through to North Canterbury, where the weather's expected to hit. Rain could peak at 15 to 25 millimetres an hour, especially along the ranges. There's a threat to life from river conditions and slips. Reporter Keill...